What The Hell Happened To... 05.18.09: Yes - Relayer

Posted by Dan Marsicano on 05.18.2009

This week, Dan Marsicano heads down the progressive rock route with a look at Yes and their 1974 album Relayer.

The Introduction

Welcome to the column that is sending shock waves throughout the series of tubes called the Internet, What The Hell Happened To…. I'm your host for this tubular ride, Dan Marsicano.

Before I begin, I have a very special announcement to make. Due to other commitments, and a full-time summer job, What The Hell Happened To… will be ending in a few short weeks. I intend to do four more editions before closing the door on the column forever, which would make my last edition June 15th. This was not an easy decision to make, but after almost 75 editions, the time has come to say goodbye.

I got a suggestion from somebody to possibly continue this column with another writer at the helm. I have no problem with that, as long as somebody is interested in wanting to continue the column. So, if you feel that you could keep up with this every Monday, feel free to send me an e-mail with a writing sample using the link below. It can be structured like this or your own creation. It doesn't matter, as long as I can see that your writing is good enough for 411 Mania. If nobody responds within a few weeks, then the column will shut its doors forever.

Cheap plug time! I am currently writing for the Heavy Metal section of About.com, Metal Underground (under the alias heavytothebone2) and SMN News. You can also find me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

As I head towards the final four editions of What The Hell Happened To…, I'm going to take a look at an album that I had wanted to analyze about a month ago, but due to time constraints, was unable to do. With summer in full swing, there is no better time like the present to discuss progressive rock band Yes and their 1974 album Relayer. This album was fairly unique in the band's discography and proved to be a minor hit, though not on the level of Close To The Edge or Fragile.





The Band

Jon Anderson- Vocals
Steve Howe- Guitars, Vocals
Chris Squire- Bass, Vocals
Alan White- Drums
Patrick Moraz- Keyboards


The Track Listing

1. The Gates Of Delirium- 21:55
2. Sound Chaser- 9:25
3. To Be Over- 9:08

(All videos uploaded by ClassicRockDVD)


The History

Yes was formed by Jon Anderson and Chris Squire in 1968. The band added guitarist Peter Banks, keyboardist Tony Kaye, and drummer Bill Bruford. This line-up would open for bands such as Cream in its early incarnation. A year later, the band would release their self-titled debut album. While the album lacked the epic song lengths of later releases, Yes was the first signs of the progressive tendencies of the band.

1970's Time And A Word would mark the departure of Banks and the use of a full orchestra. The latter was seen by some as a catalyst for the former. Steve Howe would replace Banks and this line-up struck big with 1971's The Yes Album. This would be the beginning of what many call the golden age in Yes' career. Featuring the classic "Starship Trooper" and "I've Seen All Good People," Yes's third album would reach up to the top five on the UK charts. Kaye would leave after this album, with the influential Rick Wakeman taking his place.



"Yours Is No Disgrace" Live and Interview, Both From 1971


1971's Fragile and 1972's Close To The Edge would help Yes to make a name for themselves not only in their home country, but overseas in the United States. The band was at a creative peak that they arguably would never get to again, with the song lengths increasing and the extended instrumental sections getting longer and longer. Bruford would leave the band to join King Crimson after the release of the latter, and Alan White was brought in.

1973's Tales From Topographic Oceans would be a defining moment in Yes's career, both good and bad. The double album featured only four songs that each clocked in between 18-20 minutes. Keyboardist Rick Wakeman began to become dissatisfied with the direction the band was heading in and left the band. Patrick Moraz replaced Wakeman and Yes entered the studio to work on their seventh album…


The Analysis

In the 1970s, progressive rock hit it big in the mainstream, topping charts worldwide and engaging audiences with light shows, extended live jams, and unconventional songwriting. Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and The Who were just a few of the bands that were the pioneers of the genre. Of course, that list can't be complete without one specific British band; London's own Yes.

What Yes did for the genre was create their own sound that was abrasive, soothing, and epic, sometimes all at the same time. Their short songs were catchy and upbeat; their longer songs were massive in scope and conceptually un-parallel to many of the other bands in the genre. The early 70s would prove to be a good period for the band, as their definitive line-up churned out one great album after another.

1974 would be a turning point for the band. With Wakeman out of the picture, and jazz enthusiast Patrick Moraz filling in his big shoes, Yes went into the studio to record Relayer, which is the last true progressive album from Yes. Some may disagree with me on that, but other than bits and pieces of Going For The One, the band would head in a direction most progressive rock bands headed in the early 80s; mainstream, with pop songs that had heavy use of synthesizers.



"The Gates Of Delirium" Short Version Live 1975


Comprised of three songs, and clocking in near the 40-minute mark, Relayer was given mixed reviews by critics when it was first released. The album would reach gold status, but would largely be forgotten, overshadowed by the band's earlier work and hit singles in the 80s. There were complaints that the band had gotten pretentious and bombastic with their last album, Tales From Topographic Oceans, which had three songs clocking over 20 minutes.

Opening up with an almost 22 minute song that takes up the entire first side on vinyl probably didn't help ease the complaints. "The Gates Of Delirium" is one of the longest studio tracks done by Yes and starts the album off with a underrated masterpiece. Dealing with war and the futility behind endlessly fighting each other, the song has been said by many to be based on the classic novel "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy. The song is split into three distinguishable parts. The first part is the calm before the storm, the pre-battle rituals before entering what may be the final confrontation. The imagery and sheer poetic lyrics really enhance the music, with lines like "casting giant shadows off vast penetration force" and "the pen won't stay the demon's wings, the hour approaches pounding out the Devil's sermon."

The second half, which lasts about ten minutes, is the actual battle itself. The instruments clash, get their moments to shine, and all hell breaks loose. The chaos and destruction associated with battle is accurately represented in this extended section, with metal parts as percussion and sound effects from Moraz that displayed the violent tendencies of war. The band could have turned this into a self-indulgent wank-fest, but instead, matched the complexities of war with a barrage of unpredictable guitar melodies and wild rhythm work from White.

The last section is one of the most poignant moments in Yes's history, with Anderson singing a hymn about those who don't make it out alive. His performance totally outshines everybody else, which is not an easy accomplishment considering the musicians that make up Yes. This part would be released in single form as "Soon," which can be found on the 2003 re-issue. A calm, yet despondent, end to the song, "The Gates Of Delirium" is one of the best songs Yes has ever written.



"To Be Over" Acoustic Version By Steve Howe 2003


Following up "The Gates Of Delirium" isn't easy, but Yes tries their best with "Sound Chaser" and "To Be Over." The former is largely instrumental, with Howe getting room to breathe and perform some guitar acrobatics that showcase some of his best work. The latter is softer, with an electric sitar used to give a Middle Eastern vibe to the song. The song is low-key, but picks up energy for a solid conclusion.

Relayer is one of the most underrated albums in Yes's catalog, a three track masterpiece that gets better throughout repeated listens. After the album, the band would work on their respective solo projects, and take three years to follow-up Relayer. Yes would head in a mainstream direction only a few years after Relayer, which makes this album one of the last pure progressive rock albums from Yes. Having an entirely new line-up can change the complexion of any band, but Moraz brought a jazzy feeling to the proceedings that the band worked off of. Relayer has some of my personal favorite compositions from the band and is a great example of a band still pushing themselves forward after six albums.


The Conclusion

Sorry, no Who The Hell Is… this week due to time constraints. I hope you all enjoyed a look at one of the lost Yes albums, Relayer. As I head towards the last month of my tenure as headmaster of What The Hell Happened To…, the next stop will be with Motörhead and their self-titled debut album (well, sort of), which many have forgotten about. That's what this column is all about though, so come back next week for another pulsating edition of What The Hell Happened To….